Page 24 - MPG17

theGRIT
With Savatgy taking the heat race win in style, there appeared to be a chance of an upset in Vegas for
the first time in a long time. When time came for the 250 main, the race had been reduced to twelve laps because of the continu- ous weather, making the routine comeback of Webb adjust to a tighter schedule. Luckily, as the gate dropped, Webb appeared to be in 4th heading out of the never-ending first turn sweeper with the chance of latching on to the lead riders. Before exiting one of the fastest sections of the entire tour, though, Webb slid out and felt the weight of the previous eight rounds hang on his shoulders. Muscling himself up and back into the rhythm. Coming back to 12th place, Cooper somehow skated himself into 9th by lap four, then quickly shuffling back to 12th with a slight mix-up in the whoops before the finish line. Up to this point, this entire time that Webb struggles to save every point available, the only contender posing a threat was gapping the field in commanding fashion out front. Realizing where he sat in points, Webb decided to settle into a battle with Martin Davalos for 11th. Cooper was unable to maintain the charge and settled back into 12th for the remaining few laps. On the brink of a potential tie with Savatgy in points, on the last lap, either due to a glitch in timing or passing the #35 of Alldredge by the check- ers, Webb gained a spot to solidify his championship hopes and avoid the defeat of failure in defending last year’s season victory by finishing 11th; one point ahead of Savatgy in 2016. Now heading into the motocross nationals, another very strong suit of Webb’s, the momentum behind the Star Racing Yamaha team is at a peak with 12 rounds of battle left in the year.
24 GRITMOTO • MAY.9.16
words/BRENTECKERT IMAGES/WONDERGOAT